Spitty gallows do not a friend make
by Tigeress33565
Summary: RokuShion. Xion lived in Salem, a nice place in the middle of  a forest. A few months ago she and another women, Larxene, had become lovers and had been together since...but now she's finding her lover has had secrets. Like being a mage for the late king.


Xion choked on her sob as the masked man slowly lowered to noose around her neck, the townspeople looking on sadly as she tried to hold back the tears.

Larxene stood next her, her stoic face emotionless as her soot covered hands found Xion's and a small smile played on her lips.

"I love you, Xion." The shorter girl let out another sob, her eyes filling with tears again.

She looked down, unable to stare out at the tear streaked faces.

Her eyes landed on the spit covered wooden floor if the gallows, the blue irises filling with tears again.

She remembered back to before it happened, before the witch trials.

"Does thee have anything to say to repent for the sin of witchcraft!" the stoic priest called from in front of the two women on the gallows.

"What sin of witchcraft has either my lover or I committed?" Larxene mocked, her chin held high. Her green eyes flashed and Xion smiled slightly, wiping away the tears with her free hand.

"The town of Salem, village ruled under King Ansem I, land of the hearts has found proof of Larxene Inuzuka and Xion Himitsu of practicing witchcraft. A sin of the great kingdom hearts and an act against the laws of our true king Ansem!" the man hollered again, the townspeople openly weeping as Larxene stiffened.

"Proof?" she spat, staining the priests shoes, "Thou has found nothing! A pile of sparsely written notes in which the town girls have garishly wrote lies to appease the counsel men. King Ansem's laws? Bah! Long live King of all hearts! Long live King Xemnas and prince Saix!"

"Here, here!" Xion agreed, her own head and puffy red eyes high in sophistication.

"Then thou shalt both be hung!" the priest exclaimed again as the masked executor grabbed the lever gingerly, trying to stall.

Xion looked at Larxene, the blonde women looking at her lover with such love in her eyes that Xion was forced to forget about where she was as she stared into the green.

She felt a watery smile pull at her lips and a tear collected at the corner of her eye, but it didn't fall.

"I am glad that I will die with you…" she was glad she didn't need to speak formally to her lover.

"I agree my love." Finally, a small drop fell from Larxene's eyes and Xion remembered back to how it had all started…

_Xion grinned from her place in the bed, wrapped snugly in Larxene's arms._

_Her naked chest was pressed against Larxene's own, her hand running over the blonde's side softly as the larger women slept peacefully, curled around Xion like she had been the night before when they'd fallen asleep in the first place._

_Xion's eyes sparkled as she leaned in to the blonde girl, tilting her head to the side so that she could lean in and kiss her softly._

_Larxene woke slowly, kissing back lightly as sleep left her._

_The black haired girl smirked, standing up and ignoring her naked state in favor of glancing at Larxene over her shoulder seductively, blue eyes filled with lust._

_Larxene stood up quickly to follow and soon the shower in the home of two was running along with moans of pleasure._

_An hour later, the two were both dressed and in the small kitchen, Xion over the stove and stirring the fruits she was cooking for their breakfast._

_A light pounding on the door knocked Larxene from her daze of staring fondly at Xion and she stood quickly, giving Xion a look to tell her not to be noticed as she walked closer to the door and peeked through the window._

_In seconds she had thrown the door open and two men walked through quickly, both hugging her quickly as they glanced outside to make sure they'd not been followed._

"_Axel! Demyx! How I've missed you!" she cried out, unusual for Larxene as she was usually cold._

_Xion stepped out from behind the kitchen door way, looking at the two intruders, curiosity overcoming her._

_Larxene had spoken of her past very few times._

_All Xion knew about her life before she'd met the younger girl was that she used to serve the king Xemnas and his lover Prince Said before they'd been kidnapped and Xemnas' little brother had taken over, the fact that she had a brother and that she and her brother had a friend that might as well have been their brother._

_Axel glanced around the kitchen, catching sight of her and slowly smirked. She tried to melt back into the wall but Axel had already spotted her._

"_Found someone and haven't told us love?" he snickered and Larxene grinned, smiling and holding a hand out too Xion as she looked at her lover._

"_Brothers…this is Xion." Xion smiled slightly, stepping forward and shyly taking Larxene's hand._

"_Xion. This is my brother Demyx, and a dear friend of mine, Axel." Xion nodded at them politely._

"_Xion,"_

"_A pleasure to meet the beauty that can handle our dear Larxene." Demyx bowed low, standing up again with a smile._

"_You will have to meet our lovers soon. Roxas and Zexion would adore you." Axel snorted, his eyes twinkling as he took in the cute girl his friend had snagged._

"_I would love that." Xion smiled before going back to the stove._

"_Please, sit…The fruit will be done soon." She heard the three sit down and the group grew serious at the table._

_Larxene seemed to have forgotten about her wonderful hearing as they whispered together._

"_We've finally discovered where Xemnas and Saix were taken. Marluxia and Vexen are retrieving them as we speak."_

"_What! Then we must go quickly! I do not know what to tell Xion."_

"_You have not told her?"_

"_She knows I used to work for his majesty before his kidnapping but she has no idea I was one of his personal magic's. Nor is she aware that I will have to return when we dethrone Ansem."_

"_You must Larxene…she will be accompanying you there as she is your lover. You mustn't keep her in the dark. It will be too much for her to comprehend if she gets any deeper than she is."_

"_I know, I know…I'll explain everything soon…maybe when Xemnas is back in the throne and the witchcraft ban has been lifted…"_

"…_if that is your choice Larx…But we came to get you. Xemnas had sent an order saying he wants all of his magics to be there when he returns so we can start the search for the twelfth member. Roxas is the strongest yes, but without her, we do not have our team."_

"_I see…I will tell her tonight and we will be ready by tomorrow morning." Larxene sighed, about to say something else when smoke met her nose._

_She started to cough, "Xion!"_

_Xion looked down, wide eyed and simply looked at the fruit burned to a crisp on the pan and the bright fire it had caught on._

"_Xion!"_

"_Oh! Fuc-" she remembered that they had people over and with a meep she covered her mouth, dropping the hot pan onto the floor and jumping back, slamming into Larxene's chest as the other women ran over._

_They fell back onto the ground, Xion clenching her eyes shut and wrapping her arms around Larxene's neck to stop her from hitting her head as they slammed back._

_Larxene landed on her ass, on hand wrapping around Xion's waist and the other steadying herself on the ground._

_The whole room was in a shocked silence, except the quiet crackle of the fire slowly burning out on the floor and Xion's heavy breathing._

_She looked up from where she had been staring at the chest she'd landed on in shock to look into Larxene's wide eyes._

_She didn't really know how to react, but soon she was laughing…her sides aching and her eyes watering as slowly the other three added their laughs as well._

_Axel's deep chuckle, Demyx's light laughter and Larxene's giggles added to her own sweet voice and she leaned inot Larxene's chest softly…trying to forget about what she had just heard._

_Could she leave Salem? She'd grown up here…her family was gone, what with her being the last born of many and her parents passing away while her siblings ran away to be with those they loved, she was the last to be in their hometown._

_Could she leave for Larxene like her brothers and sisters had left for their loves?_

_Possibly…_

_But the castle? Of the king? Just who was her lover?  
Slowly their laughter dies down and Xion leaned up, kissing Larxene quickly before standing and helping to pull her up._

"_I will go to the two square and buy more…maybe something I don't have to cook." Xion smiled, Larxene's eyes twinkling as she ignored her brother and friend to walk Xion to the door._

"_Be careful of the priests. Maybe Demyx should come with you." Larxene worried, glancing out the window and towards the town church in distain._

"_Do not worry so much Larxene. The priests will leave me be after what you did to them last time," Xion giggled, leaning up again to kiss Larxene before slipping out of the door and towards the town._

_She looked around at the people on her way, smiling at the children and mothers walking down the road._

_They all waved back, one of the mothers stopping to talk to her._

"_Xion! How are you?" she asked, her little girl hugging at her skirt and looking up at Xion with a smile._

"_I am doing fine, how are you today Kuri? How is Umi?" she smiled, looking down at the girl fondly._

"_We are doing fine thank you…What are you doing out so early. Larxene usually isn't seen for another four hours." The women laughed softly and Xion grinned._

"_I accidently burned the fruit I was cooking because I was distracted so I'm going to get more." She laughed._

_The women giggled and shook her head._

"_I see…well I'd better let you get to it. Good bye Xion."_

"_Goodbye Kuri. Umi." Xion ruffled the little girl's girl, smiling when she giggled loudly and tried to duck away.  
The two walked away, leaving Xion to finish the walk to the market._

_She smiled at the fruit vendor, his smile answering hers as she looked down at the numerous fruits around them._

_Apples, oranges, pears, dragon fruit, lemons, limes…_

_She picked a number of exotic looking ones, and grabbed a dragon fruit just so she could have it later and handed her money to the man._

_He grinned back, handing her a free apple and she giggled._

"_Thank you sir."_

"_Anything for you Xion." She grinned and continued look around before heading home._

_Xion wasn't paying any attention to where she was walking-just that she lived in a beautiful village full of lovely people._

_They were all so kind…all except the priests._

_She glanced up, her eyes widening with horror as she stared up at the church._

"_Sister Xion." One of the priests grinned…horribly as he came out of the church with open arms._

"_Priest Pete." She said curtly, bowing slightly before trying to turn away._

"_Now now sister…Please, why not visit the church? I'm sure you haven't prayed to Kingdom hearts nor paid your respects to king Ansem."_

"_I have done both in the quiet of my own home thank you." She tried to turn again but Pete grabbed her hand and said tightly, "Why not come in to my office and do so again?"_

"_No. Thank you Priest Pete." She tried to yank her arm back but Pete seemed dead set on her coming with him._

"_Really. I insist." He smirked, his fat face twisting wickedly._

_Xion was about to say something when Larxene's icy voice cut through, "Thank you for the offer Priest, but please. Take your hand off of my lover before I cut it off." She threatened, her eyes flashing dangerously._

_Pete slowly let go of Xion's arm, the girl wincing at the bruising that appeared where his hand had been and she stepped away, clutching the bag of fruit to her chest as she made her way quickly across the deserted street to her lover and the two new friends._

"_She'll be back." Pete grinned, turning back around to go into the church-his robes flying after him as he slammed the large door shut behind him._

"_Xion? Are you okay? I knew I shouldn't have let you out alone." Larxene murmured into her hair as she hugged the smaller girl._

"_I'm fine…Thank you Larxene." Xion smiled up at her and they soon returned home._

Xion remembered that night, Larxene had set her down after Axel and Demyx had left and explained her past.

As it was, she had once been one of eleven mages for the King Xemnas and his lover, Prince Saix.

One day, while the eleven magics were away looking for their twelfth member to complete the invincible group, Ansem-Xemnas' brother-had, had the two kidnapped.

He had then banned all mages and magics in the kingdom. The eleven of them had all gone into hiding in the forest, where they had all made the plan to go the all eleven of the main villages looking for their king. Larxene had been sent here to Salem where she met Xion.

Now, two of the other mages-Marluxia the flower magics and Vexen the ice magics-had finally found the missing king and his lover. Larxene was being called back to the group to help find the twelfth member of the mage group so they could launch an attack on the king and help Xemnas regain the throne.

Demyx and Axel had come to get her and they would both be leaving tomorrow morning…if Xion agreed to come with her lover.

Xion had immediately agreed.

The morning had come-this morning-but with it, not Axel and Demyx to lead them away to the group, but the town sheriff and his deputy to sorrowfully read them their charges of witchery.

Obviously, Priest Pete had moved on his threat and had, had a group of girls from the village-who did not like Xion nor Larxene for spurning their curious advances-write fake accounts of seeing them practice magic.

It was a lie, as Larxene hadn't done any elemental-the only magics she knew were lightning summons-mage work since coming to Salam and Xion had never done magics in her life.

Not a day later, they were on the gallows, getting fitted to hang for a crime they had not committed.

Xion saw the man in the mask grip the lever tightly, and her mind blanked as fear gripped her. The only thing stopping her from screaming in pure terror was Larxene's hand and the fact that the people of her village were watching her sadly.

She glanced out at the crowd of weeping people again, she had grown up with them all and most of them knew her well.

Her watery eyes caught sight of a bright red blur along with two blonde blurs and a slate/blue-ish blur along with it before she heard the lever start to click away.

She clenched her eyes shut and squeezed Larxene's hand but after a moment of complete silence, it was still all silent and nothing had happened.

Xion opened her eyes again, widening in curiosity when she glanced over and saw Larxene staring triumphantly into the crowd.

"If you would like to see some real mage antics, look here!" Xion heard Axel's voice before fire broke out of nowhere and the people of Salem all jumped away from the middle of the crowd.

The masked man immediately pulled away from the lever to run down to the ground and investigate the strange fire, leaving the gallows open for two short boys to jump onto it.

"Roxas! Zexion!" Larxene seemed happy to see them and Xion vaguely recalled Demyx and Axel mentioning them to her yesterday.

"Hey Larxene. So this is Xion. Sort of sucks we have to meet like this. I'm Roxas. This is Zexion, we're here to get you down. We can't have the twelfth member dying before she meets Xemnas can we?"

"Twelfth member?" Xion asked, Larxene looking at them strangely as well as Zexion removed the nooses.

"Yeah. Axel said the minute he laid eyes on her, he could tell. Demyx said you couldn't 'cause you were looking at her in a completely different way." Roxas chuckled as he grabbed Xion's hand gently and led her off the gallows with her lover following along with Zexion.

"Wasn't Demyx-"

"He went to get your stuff together. We'll meet up in the forest, he said."

"Wonderful. Axel! Hurry up!" Roxas called, Axel grinned form his place and making his way through the crowd of on lookers. No one noticed him and Xion was surprised for a moment.

"Why aren't they…"

"Zexion's element is illusions." Larxene answered her, making Xion nod her head in understanding, "Ah."

"Yeah…" Larxene smiled as she shook her head, pulling Xion into her arms tightly.

"Guys, We'll be back in a second okay? I have to talk to Xion alone for a moment." Larxene pulled Xion's hand and led her away from the other two boys, farther into the forest surrounding them until she was positive that Roxas, Axel, Zexion and even Demyx were out of earshot.

Finally they stopped in a small space between trees, where Larxene stepped closer and pulled herself into Xion's body.

"I'm sorry." The blonde buried her face in Xion's hair, her arms tensing even tighter around the smaller girls hips protectively.

"For what?" Xion murmured, snuggling closer comfortingly…She hated when her lover was sad. It hurt her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you." Larxene suddenly sobbed, her body wracking as Xion caught her from falling and struggled to keep her weight up.

Soon the two of them fell to the earth, Xion holding her lover and rocking them back and forth as the elder sobbed quietly in distress.

"All I've done is put you in danger and when it really mattered… when you could have died! I couldn't even…I almost let you…" the mage cut herself off, holding Xion closer to her chest as she cried.

Xion smiled softly, her eyes lighting up lovingly as she looked down at Larxene fondly.

"Really? You didn't save me? Where would I be right now? If I hadn't met you?" Xion asked softly, her hand stroking Larxene's hair as the blonde women sniffled uncharacteristically.

"A-at home, safe and sound without the threat of a hanging around you!" Larxene coughed, her chest hurting from the lack of air and her eyes burning from the tears.

"Wrong." Xion smiled gently, kissing Larxene's forehead lightly before continuing, "I'd be in some ally, probably dead because Pete raped me, or some other man or women hurt me. I'd been alone and cold and unloved. I'd rather go back to those gallows right now and let them hang me before I regretted meeting you."

Larxene wiped at her eyes before looking at Xion with a hesitant smile.

"Really? You wouldn't have just found some other person?"

"Never. Larxene, you are my soul mate. I'd have fallen in love with another probably, But _you _and _only_ you could ever make me _truly_ happy." Xion leaned down, kissing her lover passionately as the last tear fell from Larxene's tear streaked face.

"So, you see…Just because you couldn't save me this once…Just because you relied on your friends to help you…That doesn't mean you can't nor have you never saved me." Larxene rubbed the palm of her hand across her eyes to rid her eyes from the rest of the salty tears before looking at Xion adoringly.

"Besides…You got me away from the spit covered wood didn't you? That's gotta count for something right?" Larxene giggled and Xion grinned as the two stood from the ground to begin their small journey back to Roxas, Axel, Zexion and Demyx-hopefully to solve this whole 'Xion is the twelfth member' nonsense…


End file.
